The Best of Wives and The Best of Women

The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men Often Go Up In Smoke

Josh tinkered with the thermostat as a last ditch attempt to get the heat to work while he waited for Sam to return with the leaves.

Scrap, swish, scrash, scrish, scrish, scrap. The leaves jostled in Sam's arms. "Hey Josh. Any luck?"

"Nope." Josh fiddled with the thermostat.

Ainsley shivered in a cashmere wool sweater as she stood close to the Mural Room's doorway. "I'm gonna go to grab a sweater. I'll be right back." Ainsley said as Sam watched her rub her arms as her petite frame left the room.

"Hey Ainse, wait a sec." He took off his wool coat. "Take my coat."

Ainsley blushed as her eyes twinkled. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, absolutely."

"Thank you, Sam. That's very sweet of you." He handed her the coat.

'Anything for you.' "Your welcome." He turned to Josh. "Go find some kindling." Sam was eager to show off his scouting skills.

"Somewhat? Not everyone's an Eagle Scout."

"Kin-dl-ing." Sam enunciated. "The small twigs and sticks that you use to start a campfire."

"Oh."

"Sam, are you sure that's a good idea? I mean-"

"No, no, we have a fireplace, why not use it?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Crunch, crunch, mush, crunch, smush, crunch, crunch. Their feet crushed the snow. "Let me get this straight." Bartlet's deep timbre resonated in the frigid air on the South Lawn. "You and Josh set the White House on fire, a building that has only been on fire two other times since the founding of our country. The first one was in 1814, when Dolly Madison organized the evacuation of the White House and saved the portrait of George Washington and several State papers before the British burned the White House in the War of 1812." He turned to Abbey. "Abbey, I expect you to follow Dolly Madison's example should that ever happen."

"Yes, Jed. If an army of foot soldiers uses Napoleonic-era battle tactics, storms White House, and sets it on fire, I will rescue George Washington's portrait." Abbey mocked with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. "Should I have the table set and Rene serve them a meal too? Or should I cook it myself?"

"The second fire happened during the Christmas Eve party in 1929 in the West Wing Senior Staff offices. And the history books will show Samuel Seaborn and Joshua Lyman set the third fire in White House history because they were cold when they attempted to start a fire in a fireplace that has been welded shut since 1896." Jed furrowed his brow and gave them his quintessential, withering stare. His voice lowered an equally harsh, tone. "Do ya really expect me to believe that even though you both ran at 7 am everyday when we were in Manchester, even in the dead of winter?" He turned to Donna and Ainsley. "Where were you when this was happening?"

"I was helping C.J. in the Roosevelt Room with the seating charts." Donna answered as she pulled her Harvard Law sweatshirt over her head.

"And so was I, Sir, after Sam gave me his coat so I wouldn't have to go get another sweater from my office." Ainsley added.

Jed turned back to Sam and Josh. "Hmmm... You both have extra sets of clothes in your offices as well, correct?"

"Yes sir, we do." They whispered.

"And you didn't think to go get a couple?... One would think that you would've gone down to get some from your offices, not that you needed them since Josh, you're wearing a wool sweater and Sam you had one inside before you gave it to Ainsley." Jed admonished.